Gaudeamus Music Week

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September 9, 2015 - September 13, 2015

The Gaudeamus Music Week is a yearly festival for new music and young composers. It presents the latest developments in the global contemporary music scene and features new exclusive music by young composers who compete for the prestigious Gaudeamus Prize.

International new music festival and competition

Music by young composers

Music concert series in various locations

Discover Utrecht’s music scene

The festival is held annually in September at many exciting locations in Utrecht. The center of the festival is held at the Museum Speelklok, a museum for automatically playing musical instruments. Throughout the season, Gaudeamus also organizes music concert series at Huis aan de Werf and Muziekhuis Utrecht alongside the competition. The concerts range from music theatre to Dutch ensembles and string quartets with a focus on Dutch composers. Besides these activities, Gaudeamus aims to be a platform for new incentives and developments within the area of contemporary music in Holland and abroad.

Gaudeamus Music Week

The Gaudeamus Music Week's history began just right after World War II, as a music festival and competition solely devoted to Dutch composers. Later on, it was open to young composers worldwide. The first Gaudeamus Music Week was held in a village near Utrecht called Bilthoven in 1945. It later moved to Amsterdam in 1983. Since 2011, the festival is staged in Utrecht. Compositions must be made by composers younger than 30, and the prize money is meant as a commission for new work, to help in the career of the composer.

The festival is a perfect way to enjoy new music while at the same time, to discover the charming city of Utrecht. Hop from one festival location to another while treating your ears to new music delights.